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Hendrik Jan Wolterartist • painter • watercolourist • draughtsmanAmsterdam 1873-1952 Amersfoort

biography of Hendrik Jan 'Henk' Wolter

Hendrik Jan Wolter is considered one of the early Dutch luminists, which also included Jan Toorop and Leo Gestel. He completed secondary school and was admitted to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1895. After completing his studies in 1899, he returned to the Netherlands and settled in Leusden. During that time he mainly painted everyday scenes of simple workers and peasant interiors in a realistic style. After his marriage to Koosje van Hoorn, the couple moved to Laren in 1904, where Wolter mainly painted en plein air. He met Jan Sluijters, Co Breman and Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig in the artists' circle around Hotel Hamdorff, but did not commit himself to any art association. In Laren the influence of French impressionists such as Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley and the Belgian luminist Emile Claus, whom he met during his studies at the Antwerp academy, becomes visible. Wolter alternates his Gooise landscapes with river views. He develops a distinctly light colour palette in a neo-impressionist, luminist style and chooses the depiction of sunlight as the main theme in his paintings. Wolter is particularly fascinated by the water and the atmosphere of cities with their lively harbours. When he leaves for Amsterdam in 1914 and starts living and working on the Amsteldijk, the scenes from which he draws his inspiration are played out before his eyes on the Amstel that he sees from his studio window. He also regularly travels to Zeeland, where he goes into the dunes with Jan Toorop to capture the Zeeland light on canvas. In 1924, Wolter was appointed professor at the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam, succeeding Nicolaas van der Waay.

As a member and later chairman of the Committee for Dutch Art Exhibitions Abroad, Wolter regularly traveled to Italy, Spain, England and France, among others, between 1926 and 1938. In England he paints on the coast of Cornwall and in France he paints in ports such as Douarnenez and Honfleur. The coast in Italy also attracts him, especially the one south of Genoa. Wolter even moved to Rome in 1938, where he captured the horse races in the park at Villa Borghese on canvas and in that year he also discovered the picturesque harbor town of Camogli. However, the stay in Rome is short-lived. Due to the outbreak of the Second World War, the couple returns to the Netherlands and lives in Laren again. Wolter's last major trip was to New York, where he visited his son Henk in 1946 and painted his last cityscapes of Brooklyn and Manhattan. He has spent the last few years with his wife in the house he designed called 'Safe Haven' on the Oud Blaricummerweg in Laren. In the last years of his life his health deteriorated so quickly that he was no longer able to paint.


for salepaintings, watercolours and drawings by Hendrik Jan Wolter


Hendrik Jan Wolter | Horseraces on the Galoppatoio, Villa Borghese, Rome, oil on canvas, 33.7 x 44.6 cm, signed l.r. and painted ca. 1938-1940

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • for sale

Horseraces on the Galoppatoio, Villa Borghese, Rome

Hendrik Jan Wolter | Villa Borghese, Rome, oil on board, 21.2 x 26.5 cm, signed verso

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • for sale

Villa Borghese, Rome

Hendrik Jan Wolter | Skaters on the Boerenwetering, Amsterdam, oil on canvas, 40.5 x 60.6 cm, signed l.r. and carries studiostamp on the reverse and painted ca 1915

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • for sale

Skaters on the Boerenwetering, Amsterdam


previously for salepaintings, watercolours and drawings by Hendrik Jan Wolter


Hendrik Jan Wolter | Farm among trees, oil on panel, 21.5 x 26.5 cm, signed l.l.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

Farm among trees

Hendrik Jan Wolter | The old Oosterdok, Amsterdam: on the reverse: Harbour, oil on canvas, 50.5 x 60.7 cm, signed l.r.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

The old Oosterdok, Amsterdam: on the reverse: Harbour

Hendrik Jan Wolter | The Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in  Amsterdam, oil on painter's board, 21.5 x 26.5 cm

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

The Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam

Hendrik Jan Wolter | The Jardins des Tuileries, Paris, oil on panel, 21.5 x 27.0 cm, signed l.l.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

The Jardins des Tuileries, Paris

Hendrik Jan Wolter | The Rokin, Amsterdam, oil on board laid down on panel, 36.7 x 44.3 cm

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

The Rokin, Amsterdam

Hendrik Jan Wolter | Horse riding in the Borghese Park, Rome, oil on panel, 22.0 x 27.7 cm, signed l.r. and painted in 1939

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

Horse riding in the Borghese Park, Rome

Hendrik Jan Wolter | A view of Enkhuizen, oil on panel, 21.9 x 27.0 cm, signed l.l.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

A view of Enkhuizen

Hendrik Jan Wolter | A canal in Amsterdam near the Schreierstoren, oil on panel, 37.2 x 43.5 cm, signed l.r.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

A canal in Amsterdam near the Schreierstoren

Hendrik Jan Wolter | View on Tholen, oil on panel, 36.0 x 44.0 cm, signed l.l. and painted circa 1915

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

View on Tholen

Hendrik Jan Wolter | Moored boats, Prins Hendrikkade Amsterdam, oil on canvas, 56.2 x 65.0 cm, signed l.r.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

Moored boats, Prins Hendrikkade Amsterdam

Hendrik Jan Wolter | Strolling in a parc, Rome, oil on painter's board, 21.8 x 26.7 cm, dated on the reverse 1939

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

Strolling in a parc, Rome

Hendrik Jan Wolter | Early morning, the Amstelkade, Amsterdam, oil on panel, 41.0 x 71.0 cm, signed l.r.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

Early morning, the Amstelkade, Amsterdam

Hendrik Jan Wolter | The white fence, oil on painter's cardboard, 36.6 x 43.8 cm, signed l.r. and painted circa 1919

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

The white fence

Hendrik Jan Wolter | View of the old arsenal, oil on canvas, 65.0 x 90.0 cm, signed l.l.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

View of the old arsenal

Hendrik Jan Wolter | View of the river Amstel in winter, oil on canvas, 58.0 x 80.0 cm, signed l.l.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

painting • previously for sale

View of the river Amstel in winter

Hendrik Jan Wolter | The Westsingel, Amersfoort, black chalk and pastel on paper, 39.1 x 65.0 cm, signed l.r. and dated 1898

Hendrik Jan Wolter

watercolour • drawing • previously for sale

The Westsingel, Amersfoort

Hendrik Jan Wolter | A farm along a country road, watercolour on paper, 34.4 x 53.4 cm, signed l.l.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

watercolour • drawing • previously for sale

A farm along a country road

Hendrik Jan Wolter | A farmstead, chalk on paper, 24.0 x 45.0 cm, signed l.r.

Hendrik Jan Wolter

watercolour • drawing • previously for sale

A farmstead


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